Back to the Grind (a.k.a. I was told to write this)

So, back to writing about topics mandated by my English teacher. That little angry rant was fun, but it's not really the purpose of this blog, now is it?

This assignment entails describing the town of Normal, IL. Rather, advertising it if it is worth advertising, which I really think it is. I really love this town, to be perfectly honest. I come from Champaign, and I must say that while I love my hometown to death, after eighteen years, I got a little sick of it. Normal feels like Champaign 2.0, really. Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, they are both double-cities that still aren't that big. There's plenty to do, but it's not a big city. The campus of ISU is similarly balanced. There are enough people here, and the campus is large enough, to be a significant place for socializing and a stand-alone area, without being U of I size, meaning unwalkable.

The town itself is really nice too, though I haven't been to downtown Bloomington much. It's nice that there are places just barely off campus that offer lots of entertainment for everyone who goes here. One of the most popular among these isn't really an entertainment spot, but a place to obtain entertainment for later: The Movie Fan. It has a great selection, including a good selection of gay and lesbian films, so much so that some friends of mine used to have a "Gay Films Friday" every Friday.

Right across the street is the Normal Theater, which is a restored retro theater that plays lots of independent films; at the beginning of my Freshman year, Hot Fuzz was playing as part of a series of foreign, independent films. Hot Fuzz is my favorite movie, so how could I miss out? Today through Sunday, they are playing Milk, which I sadly have yet to see and will probably miss on this showing.

There is also the wonderful ice cream shop, Emack & Bolio. It's ice cream, what more do you want from me?

Honestly, I haven't been all over yet, but I really love this town. There is sufficient entertainment to be had without having to drive or catch a bus anywhere, and the atmosphere here is just wonderful!